The Supreme Court has on Friday, November 22, 2024, nullified the entire provisions of the National Lottery Act, for being inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended). The apex court made this pronouncement, while delivering judgment in an action filed by the Attorney-General of Lagos State against the Attorney-General of the Federation, in Suit No. SC.1/2008 Attorney-General of Lagos State & 21 Ors. v. Attorney-General of the Federation & 15 Ors.
The Attorney-General of Lagos State had, through the Wole Olanipekun & Co. team, challenged the legislative competence of the National Assembly to make any law for the regulation and control of the operation of lottery in Nigeria, as according to him, such matters do not fall within the 68 items exhaustively set out in Part I of the Second Schedule to the 1999 Constitution.